SantanElementary School

Curriculum NightMrs. Lederman’s 4th Grade C.A.T.S.

August 1st , 2013

C.A.T.S. Classes Involve…Accelerated Enrichment Activities

Depth & Complexity

Higher-order, Critical Thinking Skills

Creativity & Novelty

More Collaboration & Hands-On

Differentiated Instruction & Assessment

Problem-Based Learning

Engineering & Design Activities

Olweus Agreements…

We will not bully othersWe will try to help each otherWe will try to include left-out studentsWe will report bullying to school staffWe will conduct weekly classroom meetingsWe will look for ways to recognize student improvements & excellence

•Trustworthiness•Respect•Responsibility•Fairness•Caring•Citizenship

Students agree to strive forTRRFCC Character…

The Student Store…Students earn 2 dollars/day for:

Good attendanceClassroom jobs

ALL students earn an extra dollar for every day the class had 100% attendance!

Students are paid every other week and shop on pay days.

Donations to the store are greatly appreciated. New or slightly used items are acceptable.

Daily Class Schedule:8:45 Spiral Review & Test Preps (SRTP’s)

9:15 Words Their Way (Creative Genre Writing)

9:45 Specials Class (Music/P.E./Library)

TRRFCC Meetings every Day 4

10:20Bathroom Break & Working Snack Time

10:30Accelerated Math Progress Teams (AMPT’s)

Recess (11:20) & Lunch (11:40)

12:00Common Core (Social Studies & Science)

1:30 Literacy Workshop (tied into Common Core)

2:45 Agenda/Jobs/C.A.P. the Day

5th-6th Grade Mathematics…

Number Sense & Operations

Multiplication & Division (1-2 digit)

Fractions (equivalency, reducing,

Adding/subtracting/multiplying/dividing)

Problem Solving (all operations)

Patterns (variables, input/output)

Data Analysis & Probability

(proportion, statistics, graphs, charts)

Measurement (geometric, time, capacity & distance)

Geometry (3-D shapes, points, 4-quadrants)

“Good mathematics teaching does not stop at introducing a rule; good mathematics teaching encourages learners to master the “why” so that they can confidently and accurately apply a rule.” (Intel Mathematics Teacher Manual, Page 395)

Concrete Pictorial Algorithm or Equation

Critical Areas of Instruction…Develop fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and understand the multiplication and division of fractions in limited cases

Extend division to 2-digit divisors, integrate decimal fractions into place value system, develop understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and develop fluency with whole number and decimal operations

Develop understanding of volume.

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

4. Model with mathematics.

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Mathematical Practices…

How can parents help…Word problems may appear complicated and

advanced. Students will need support in their thinking before they

begin to solve, so ask them:

What do you know about the problem?

What do you know about the answer?

Have you seen a problem like this before?

Does that make sense?

Teachers may delay showing students short cuts or standard algorithms.

Please honor that delay and refrain from teaching them short cuts…It is by design to develop a deep understanding of math concepts

4th Grade Topics:

Rights & Responsibility of Citizenship Research & Mapping Skills Arizona’s Geography, History, & Heroes Early Civilizations & Explorers Foundations, Structures, & Functions of

Government www.icivics.org Economics ( Jr. Achievement )

Social StudiesCurriculum...

Science Curriculum...

4th Grade Topics:

Ecosystems

Plant & Animal Adaptations

Electricity, Energy & Magnetism

Water Cycle & Weather

Changes to Earth’s Surface

Emphasis on developing driving questions, research, & note taking Inquiry & process skillsHands-on activities & investigationsOral & visual presentationsScience Fair Catalyst for Change (TED talk format)

Integration with math

Social Studies & Science Common Core Investigations...

Reading Comprehension of text:

Character AnalysisGenre AnalysisNarrative ElementsVocabularyDrawing ConclusionsSequencingPredictingForming InferencesComparing and ContrastingQuestioning and ClarifyingText structure of Non-FictionMain Idea and DetailsFact and OpinionAuthor’s Purpose

Literacy Curriculum...

Language6 + 1 Traits:

IdeasWord ChoiceSentence FluencyVoiceOrganizationConventionsPresentationTypes of Writing:FunctionalOpinion/PersuasiveDescriptiveNarrativeExpositoryCreative (Poetry)

Literature Studies...

Connected to Common Core Investigations:

Island of the Blue Dolphins (Early Civilizations & Explorers)

Danger in the Desert (Desert Survival & Engineering)

Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Plant/Animal Adaptations)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.H.M. (Electricity)

Bud, Not Buddy (The Great Depression)

Words Their Way…Day 1

IDEAS & CONTENTWORD CHOICE

Days2-3SENTENCE FLUENCY

Day 4ORGANIZATION & CONVENTIONS

Day 5VOICE & PRESENTATION

Day 6SHOWCASE & ASSESS

The Daily 5 Workshop…1

SNIBStick Nose In Book

(Read to Self)

2

PESTPronunciation,

Expression, Speed, & Tone

(Read to Others)

3

WOWWriting of the Week

(Words Their Way)

4

DOKDepth of Knowledge

Check 4 Understanding

5

That’s a WRAP

Weekly Response Activity Projects

Technology…

Keyboarding

Netiquette (etiquette on the net)

Publishing (brochures, letters, reports, stories, articles, essays, etc.)

Database (organizing statistics, comparing, contrasting, analyzing data)

Multi-Media Presentations (Power Point, Movie Maker, Story Board)

Meaning for Students

Writing

Rubric

Letter Grades

Report Card

Indicator

Percent (%)

Above & Beyond! 10 A MS 100-90

Terrific! 9 B MS 89-80

Keep on Truck’in 7-8 C MS 79-70

Not there yet… 6 D AC 69-60

Just Getting started 5 F AC 59 and below

Grading…

Field Trips...Field trips this year:

Sonora Desert Museum

Arizona State Capitol

Basha Art Gallery

Tempe Historical Museum (Possible Addition)

Living History Groups/Science Experiences

$400 Tax Credit – To help fund these trips and experiences.

Please consider participating in the tax credit program. This helps our grade level afford bigger & better field trips.

How can parents help…Provide a Literature Rich Environment at Home

Monitor Nightly Reading (100 minutes per week)

Edit W.O.W.’s on Days 4-5 (Final drafts due Day 6)

Expect High-Quality Work on Every Assignment

Wait 3-5 days after an assignment is due before checking Infinite Campus

Review Graded Assignments sent home in GREEN folder

If you and your child wish to explore the curriculum even deeper, please visit our classroom website for more on-line resources & activities.

Volunteers...

Art Masterpiece (teach & prepare)

Box Tops (cut, bundle & deliver)

Copy Cats (prepare instructional materials)

Field Trips (chaperone small groups of students)

Guest Speakers (share your expertise with students!)

Homeroom Hero (special events)

Jr. Achievement (teach a lesson per week, 5-6 weeks )

PTO (attend meetings, send out bulleted updates to others )

Communications…GREEN Go-Home Folder:

Left Side: Papers to be

read, signed & returned

Graded work to be reviewed and kept at home

Right Side: Advertisements FYI’s

Stay Connected…Review the contents of your child’s folder dailyVolunteer…thank you so much!Check the classroom website frequently for updates and changesCall classroom (480) 883-4749 (after 3pm)Call or text my cell (480) 559-7750

(urgent questions or emergencies only, please)Email me: lederman.stephanie@cusd80.com

Please allow 24-hour response turn-around

Thank you for coming...

Please fill out and return the Curriculum Survey to your child’s teacher by next Friday.